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I had a clenching sensation after the surgery. Not sure if it was the same as yours -- it wasn't painful, just an odd involuntary clenching of my abdominal muscles, usually as I rose from a chair. I finally decided it was probably what they call "guarding"-- the body senses something wrong and clenches the muscles to protect the area. It disappeared as if by magic 10 weeks after the surgery, and I wondered if that's when the internal sutures finished dissolving. That's all my guesswork; I never asked the doctor about it.

I hope the doctor finds nothing wrong tomorrow! I was oh so glad to get those staples out.

Please don't assume that your experience will be like mine. My tumors have been out of the norm from the start, and I'd been really sick for a years before I was diagnosed. I'd rather not have this thing, but it's not the end of the world. I've passed my 7th anniversary and I feel pretty good.

Technically, borderline tumors are not "cancer" because cancers invade other tissues, and borderline tumors by definition don't know how to invade. On the other hand, even aggressive ovarian cancers do most of their damage by growing on top of other organs, and borderline tumors know how to do that.

When I was diagnosed my oncologist told me it is not cancer, and if I were asked on an employment form or insurance form if I had cancer, the answer is no. But when mine came back the onc put "ovarian cancer" on my paperwork. The way mine is behaving, the difference is moot.

Hi Jodie and Serous2c, thank you ladies for your support and sharing your experience with me. It really helps to know that I am not alone and that others can relate! It also helps me to somehow put this jumbled mess into some type of perspective. Off to the dr. now

Wife to husband with squamous lung cancer stage 3 b
dx - April 20/14
tx started May 20/14 - radiation and chemo
June 23 - chemo finished
June 24 - tumor 1/3 the original size
July 4 - radiation finished
July 8 - PET scan shows tumor almost gone, lymph nodes back to normal
Married July 19/14
Sept 9/14 - repeat can shows tumor continues to shrink more, no new spots. New coughing and pain due to chest infection or side effect of radiation.
Sept 19/14 - not infection but pneumonitis, place on dex for 4 weeks
Oct 22/14 - now off of dex and facing even more symptoms of withdrawal
Dec 16/14 - pretty much nothing left but a scar
April 7/15 - ditto scan and screw you stats
Oct 6/15 - more scarring but still cancer still gone
Feb 2016 -scan the same
Aug 2016 - more of the same
Aug 2017 - and ditto

Update: so went to family dr. last Thursday and nurse was only comfortable taking 1/2 of staples out because it looked a little swollen and compromised at lower end of incision. My friend who is a nurse accompanied me and told the nurse that she could remove the remaining staples on Sunday or Monday. Well, Thursday night I started to bleed from my lower incision. On Friday I called hospital where I had surgery and spoke with nurse. She advised me to keep an eye on it over the weekend, by this time it was starting to drain more serous pink type fluid than blood. By Monday morning I had decided to just go back to hospital ER and have them remove remaining staples and check incision. Dr. didn't seem to think it was infected, just a little macerated (wet) from the drainage. Remaining staples were removed and I once again was advised to keep an eye on it and if it opens to come back �� So..... Here I am with it still draining, afraid to move for fear it's going to open up. Afraid to sleep on side because it drains more, and more pressure. What to do?? Frustration beginning to settle in

Hi Serous2c, thanks and no, I won't be doing any sit-ups for quite some time. They didn't mention any particular way of getting out of bed. I just kinda push myself up to a sitting position in bed with my arm and lift myself using leg muscles while holding my lower abdomen. It seems to work and doesn't put too much pressure on incision. I haven't been walking much at all, but don't really have much choice at the moment. My back has been sore as well as I think I'm automatically using my back muscles more to compensate for lack of use of abdominals. Oh well, this too shall pass, eventually!

Biopsy results back

Hi, I went to see my surgeon on Friday in his clinic as my wound continued to drain from my incision line. Turns out I have a seroma and will need daily packing. My follow up post op wasn't supposed to be until July 5 but he had the results back. Stage 1c ovarian cancer. Both ovaries contained cancer cells but unfortunately due to the tumours being attached to bladder, rectal wall and peritoneum, he was unable to get it all out without it rupturing. Initially after sx, I was told that it was borderline ov ca that is probably cured by sx alone. Now they are recommending chemo to start July 6. They removed 4 litres of abdominal fluid in which they found cancer cells. They also found endometriosis, which really isn't a surprise. He said it is rare to find in stage 1 and that I am lucky that way, but I am very concerned because it had ruptured. I am thankful for the ladies here who have given me support and hope that I can lean on you all a little more to help me through this time.